“They started out shy and through the process, allowed one another to come alive in their personalities and leadership. They laughed, helped each other stay accountable, and developed deep and supportive friendships. I witnessed tender moments, acts of courage, and perseverance.
It is amazing what happens to young people when we foster their individual capabilities and growth.”
The Rite of Passage Program takes place every two years and will be held again in 2027. Please reach out to programs@flourishbc.org for more information
For ages 12-14 with exceptions.
For adults interested in mentoring, please visit our Mentoring Page.
A rite of passage is the process of conscious movement from one stage in life to another (eg. adulthood, couplehood, parenthood, death, or divorce). Flourish Education and Mentorship Society offers a 6-month coming-of-age rite of passage for girls and gender-diverse youth. This program takes participants through a formal process to enter young womanhood and adulthood grounded in their personal knowledge and empowerment.
This method is the result of evaluating coming of age challenges, programming and rites of passage theory and practice to offer comprehensive program that gives girls and gender-diverse youth tools, knowledge, support and experiences that catalyze the self-realization of personal strengths and resilience. They then move into young adulthood with self-confidence, equipped to handle change.
The highlight of the program is our 5-day outdoor camping adventure where we symbolically step into young womanhood/adulthood. For individual support, each participant chooses an adult mentor in Session 1 and the pair spend weekly 1-on-1 time together over 6 months. This mentor is the youth’s personal bridge into the adult world, balancing group time with individual attention. We also involve families in this dynamic and learning process.
Special Features of the Rite of Passage Program
Individual Mentorship
Each participant will select a woman during our first gathering to be their personal mentor for the duration of the program. In most programs, mentees do not get to choose their mentors, but we encourage youth to trust themselves and practice making choices. The selection process is done in a respectful and confidential manner.
Mentors are women who go through our application and interview process (much like getting a job), clear a criminal record check, go through mentor training and are continually supported by our guides and counsellor. See Mentor Process & Application for details.
Challenge
Perceived challenge is a vital program component. Challenge not only develops resilience, resourcefulness, courage and self-knowing, it also acts as a tangible marker for participants to move – emotionally, psychologically, mentally, physically, and spiritually – into the new stage of young adulthood.
Moving through a challenge, participants discover new strengths about themselves and step into womanhood/adulthood feeling able and confident. Our main challenge is a supervised 8-hour solo in nature during our July camping adventure. Youth prepare for this in May-June, do it in July, and then celebrate their accomplishment as young adults upon their return.
Integration
Many transformational programs end on a high note without guidance to navigate what happens when we return home after expansive, connecting experiences. This can be the hardest part in the process of change. Participants can feel lost or that no one understands them and what they have gone through.
We continue to mentor and meet after the July adventure to bridge the self-discoveries from the trip into participants’ daily lives. We continue to validate their strengths, remind them of their resilience and reflect back their self-awareness until they know it themselves and can apply it to their lives.
Special Features
Each participant will select a woman during our first gathering to be her personal mentor for the duration of the program. In most programs mentees do not choose their mentors, but we encourage girls to trust themselves and practice making choices. The selection process is done in a respectful and confidential manner.
Mentors are women who go through our application and interview process (much like getting a job), clear a criminal record check, go through mentor training and are continually supported by our lead guide and counsellor.
Perceived challenge is a vital program component. Challenge not only develops resilience, resourcefulness, courage and self-knowing, it also acts as a tangible marker for participants to move – emotionally, psychologically, mentally and physically – into the new stage of young womanhood.
Moving through a challenge, girls discover new strengths about themselves and step into womanhood feeling able and confident. Our main challenge is a supervised 8-hour solo in nature during our July adventure. Girls prepare for this in May-June, and celebrate their accomplishment as young women upon their return.
Many transformational programs end on a high note without guidance to navigate what happens when we return home after expansive, connecting experiences. This is often the hardest part in the process of change. Participants can feel lost or that no one understands them.
We continue to mentor and meet after the adventure to bridge the self-discoveries from the trip into their daily lives. We continue to validate their strengths, remind them of their resilience and reflect back their self-awareness until they know it themselves and can apply it to their lives.
“After doing the program, I’m more clear on who I want to be as a human. I focus more on my mental and physical health, and know what makes me happy.”